Alarm service providers have provided alarm services to their customers using telephone dial systems, limited low speed data on metallic copper wire pair systems, low speed wireless systems, and dedicated line services. In general, these systems transmit data too slow, are too expensive, and require too many resources to satisfy the demand for providing alarm services to a greater mass of subscribers. Very-high-bit-rate subscriber line (VDSL) communication systems provide high speed video and data transmission between service providers and their subscribers at a relatively low cost with fewer resources needed per subscriber. For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for an ATM based VDSL communication system and associated method for providing video and data alarm services between an alarm service provider and a subscriber that overcome the limitations of the prior art.